On Jan.uary 15, 1929, a hero was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His name was Martin Luther King Jr. King grew up to be a Baptist minister and in the mid-1950s, he dedicated his life to the civil rights movement. He fought for equality using nonviolence and peaceful protests till his assassination in 1968 outside his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee. King contributed to the end of legal segregation, he gained significant advances in voting rights for the minority communities and fought for racial equality. While we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s accomplishments every third Monday in January, let us use this day as a reminder to continue striving for equality among all.

King said himself during his "I Have a Dream" speech, “1963 is not an end, but a beginning,” and this is unquestionably true. We have come a long way since 1963, but we have an even longer way to go in terms of achieving equality. We must remember his words and apply his ideals to the existing problems of racial inequality, gender inequality and income inequality, and work toward equality among all members of our nation. America embraces individualism, but like King said, “We can not walk alone” if changes are going to be made today.

King also stated in his "I Have A Dream" speech, “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” The American Dream is our nation’s motto. Do we stand by our motto as a country? Yes we stand by it, but it isn’t reality. Not every citizen has equal opportunity to achieve success. Lets make the American Dream a reality for all of America’s people independent of persons’ race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or socioeconomic status. When every member of this society can say, without a doubt in their mind, that they feel that they have the same chance to live the American Dream as their neighbors, only then can this country truly stand by its motto.

Whether you believe society needs inequality to function properly or that society will flourish to its full potential only when equality is achieved, we must eliminate structured social stratification. Let us live by the words of this beautiful country, “All men are created equal.” Let us rise to our full potential as a nation. Let us see human beings as just that, human beings because when it comes down to it that’s all that we are.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." His words are still relevant today and we need to remember them because the problems that existed during his time sadly still exist.

Each year we celebrate his messages and accomplishments. But, let us not forget his dream. We must join together, remember his words, and embrace his ideals, spread love not hatred, and work together to gain the equality he dreamed of. No, it won’t happen today. But let's make a plan because taking action to make a change can happen today. When King’s dream finally becomes a reality, because I still have hope it will, that my friends will be the greatest way to honor him. If we can accomplish this great mission, as King said when he ended his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, every person in America will be able to feel “Free at last! Free at last!”